Gas producer



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Jan. 30, 1962 P. PRANG ErAL 3,019,095

GAS PRODUCER Filed sept. 22, 1958 4 shees-shee'cv 1 ATTaNsys- Jan. 30, 1962 P. PRANG Erm. 3,019,095

j GAS PRODUCER Filed sept. 22. 1958 4 sheets-sheet 2 HVeHo/sf Pe rse maw, fin/vs p/frf farm A rrol'v yt Jan. 30, 1962 P. PRANG ETAL 3,019,095

GAS PRODUCER Filed Sept. 22. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 4 T Tadk ys Jan. 30, 1962 P. PRANG ETAL 3,019,095

GAS PRODUCER Filed Sept. 22. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 i Iwan/0r S: pfff-n Mams, fm1/s 0157s@ 15x70@ A r roeuys dlddli Patented Jan. 30, 1962 "tice 3,019,095 GAS PRODUCER Peter Prang, Mulheim (Ruhr), and Hans Dieter Textur, Dicke Hecke, Stoiberg-Vicht, Germany, assigner-s to Ferdinand Lentjes Kesselschmiede u. Maschinenbau, Dusseldorf-Oberkassel, Germany Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 762,574 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 30, 1957 9 Claims. (Cl. iS- 63) The invention relates to a rapid gas producer for producing gas containing CO, and having a reaction chamber which contains tightly-packed fuel, preferably anthracite, brown coal or coke. The reaction chamber has an inlet for gas containing oxygen, preferably air, which is passed rapidly through the fuel, a wall which allows the gas produced to pass through but retains the fuel, and means for discharging the solid combustion residue and slag.

The known rapid-gasification producers of the above type are distinguished from the usual installations for generating gas containing CO by their considerably greater efficiency, Whereas in the customary installations the gas is produced by passing air through a layer of glowing coke and then passing the resulting gaseous combustion product, which consists mainly of CO2, through a reducing chamber filled with coke, thereby reducing the combustion product to CO, in rapid-gasification producers the CO is produced directly in the reaction chamber which contains the fuel. The necessary condition for this is, however, that the fuel should be tightly packed and of sufficiently small grain size and that the air should be passed through in a rapid current. Rapid-gasification producers have therefore already been proposed which fulfil the above conditions to a certain extent. The producer in such cases consists of a reaction chamber into which coke is charged through an opening at the top and which has a discharge worm at its lower end for discharging the slag which collects there. The producer is further provided with inlets for the combustion air, arranged at the periphery of the reaction chamber, approximately at the level of the surface of the slag, and with outlets for the gas produced. rThese outlets are arranged in the region of the incandescent zone and are separated from the reaction chamber by separating walls which allow the gas to pass through but retain the fuel. These separating walls are heat resistant bodies resembling filters and consist either of ne-mesh metal fabric or nemesh ceramic grids.

The purpose of the invention is to construct a rapidgasification producer which, in contrast to those previously proposed, operates completely continuously and with greater efficiency, and which consequently has a higher rate of through-put and production. This is achieved, in accordance with the invention, in that the producer is provided with a charging device by which fuel is continuously supplied to the reaction chamber to the extent necessary to ensure the reaction with the oxygencontaining gas and the reaction chamber has a fuel-retaining wall consisting of pipes through which cooling liquid can be passed and which are arranged close together but allow gas to pass between them, the pipes preferably running in the direction in which the fuel is supplied. The reaction chamber is preferably in the form of a substantially cylindrical series of pipes which is provided at its centre with a lance carrying the oxygen-containing gas. The lance has appropriate openings through which the gas is blown and it extends through a fuel-storage container which is arranged above the reaction chamber and constitutes part of the charging means. The storage container is provided with a charging evice, for example a piston or like sliding member, a conveyor worm or a charging bell. When a piston or like member is used which rests on the fuel in the fuel storage container, the piston is preferably connected to a weight which maintains the piston constantly under a predetermined load, thus ensuring that the fuel below it is constantly under a pressure sufficient to ensure that it is packed sufficiently tightly.

According to a modification of the invention, the rapidgasication producer is substantially in the form of a boiler fired with a travelling grate. The travelling grate constitutes the fuel-charging device and the wall of pipes of the reaction chamber, which allows gas to pass but retains fuel, is arranged above the travelling grate in such a manner that it runs obliquely towards the dis- Charge end of the travelling grate, this discharge end being closed by a slag-retaining device. In this case, the oxygen-containing gas is preferably admitted through inlet pipes which are arranged in zones below the travelling grate and can be selectively shut off, as is customary in the travelling grate firing of boilers.

lt is advantageous in all cases to connect the pipes which enclose the reaction chamber as well as, in some cases, heat exchange pipes which are installed in the gas-discharge chamber, to a single closed cooling system and to utilise them for the production of steam.

Further features of the invention will be explained with reference to several constructional examples shown, partly diagrammatically, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is one form of construction of the new producer in vertical longitudinal section;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line lli- HI of FIG- URE l;

FIGURES 4 and 5 show a further constructional forni of the producer in vertical and in horizontal longitudinal section respectively on the lines V-V of FIGURE 4 and IV-lV of FIGURE 5 respectively;

FiGURES 6 and 7 show a third form of construction in vertical longitudinal section and in a section on the line VII-VII of FIGURE 6 respectively.

The rapid gas producer shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 comprises a fuel-storage container l provided with a charging device, a reaction chamber 4 which is separated from the gas discharge chamber 3 by a wall 2 of pipes, a slag chamber 5 arranged below the reaction chamber 4, a lance d passing through the centre of the reaction chamber 4 and of the fuel storage container l, for the supply of oxygen-containing air, and a discharge device 7 for the slag, arranged at the lower end of the slag chamber 5.

The upper part 1' of the fuel storage container 1 is cylindrical and provided with a shaft 8 which controls the charging. In the interior of the cylindrical part l of the storage container there is a sliding plate 9' which rests on the fuel and is connected by connecting rods 11 to lever linkage 13, i4 which carries a weight l2 and which is pivotally connected to a bracket l5 on the part l of the storage container. In this way, the sliding plate 9 is continuously loaded by the weight 12, so that the fuel i@ lying underneath it is constantly supplied to the reaction chamber 4 under a certain pressure which ensures that it will be suliiciently tightly packed in the reaction chamber 4. The reaction chamber 4 underneath the storage container il is surrounded by a substantially cylindrical ring 2 of pipes lo, through which water passes and which are arranged closely together. The average distance between the individual pipes i6 is about l mm., so that the ring can retain the fuel, which should be preferably of a grain size of l mm. to at the most l() mm., in the chamber 4 and thus contributes directly to the maintenance of the density of the packing of the fuel, which is necessary for the production of CO-containing gas in the reaction chamber 4. The ring 2 of pipes need not necessarily be cylindrical. In some cases it is even advisable to make it slightly conical so that the fuel can slide downwards more easily. The pipes I6 shown in FIGURE 3 are circular in cross-section. They may, however, be D-shaped in cross-section. One may also use so-called ribbed pipes to form the wall 2. of the reaction chamber, the spaces between the ribs being, if desired, filled with chromium ore, as is known in such pipes.

The gas discharge chamber 3, which is provided with heat exchange pipes 19 in the part 18 which progressively tapers towards the gas outlet 17, is disposed around the ring 2 of pipes. Behind it there is a control valve 2b for the gas flow and throttle valves 2.1 and 22,. A thermometer 23 is disposed at the outlet 17 of the gas discharge chamber 3 to enable the temperature of the gas produced to be supervised. In order to watch the temperature in the reaction chamber 4i., suction pipes 24 which have pyrometers or thermoelements installed in -them are provided at different points in the ring of pipes which surrounds the reaction chamber. The suction pipes 24 are connected to a common collecting pipe 25 which leads to the outlet I7 of the gas discharge chamber 3, preferably with interposition of check valves 26.

A casing 27 which surrounds the gas discharge chambers 3 and which preferably consists of a steel jacket has a double wall where it surrounds the reaction chamber 4. Together with the pipes I6 forming the wall of the reaction chamber and the heat exchange pipes 19 in the gas discharge part 18 of the chamber it forms a closed cooling system through which water ows and which may advantageously be used for producing steam. Water is supplied through a pipe 28 which is connected to a casing 29 which surrounds the slag chamber 5 and which is also double walled, whereas the mixture of water and steam is discharged through the pipe 30 which branches off at the top from the part 27 of the casing.

An air lance 6 which passes through the centre of the storage container l, the reaction chamber 4, and the slag chamber is preferably tubular and provided with openings 31 which are arranged in ajlimited zone B at the bottom end 6 of the lance. The air lance 6, of which the end o projects into a guide pipe 32 provided in the slag chamber 5, can be adjusted in height within a certain range in such a way that its end 6' can extend to a greater or less extent into the guide pipe 32, so that the openings 31 provided in it can take up different positions relative to the reaction chamber 4. In this way it is readily possible to vary the path for the combustion air which ows through the bed of fuel, i.e. it can be changed from a transverse ow to a longitudinal flow. The air lance 6 may, in some cases, also consist of several pipes arranged closely together and in the form of a cylinder.

Inside the air lance 6, a further supply pipe 33 is preferably provided, which serves to supply steam. This pipe also may be provided with openings at its lower end, like the lance 6, so that the supply of steam can be controlled within certain limits by varying the amount by which the pipe 33 extends into the lance 6. The control of the supply of steam may, of course, also be effected by throttle valves or the like connected in the steam supply pipe.

'Ihe air lance 6 may be provided on its outer periphery with projections which are welded on and, in addition to an up-and-down movement, it may be given a toand-fro rotary movement so that the projections on the lance loosen the fuel in the reaction chamber d when the lance is given a combined vertical and rotary movement, so that any bridges or accumulations of slag which may form are thereby destroyed. For the same purpose, some of the seamless tubes Id which form the wall 2'; 'of the reaction chamber may be arranged to be movable. Since the tubes le are substantially vertical and, there- 4 fore, parallel to the direction of conveyance of the fuel, it is quite easy to make them move vertically with a certain range.

The slag-discharge device 7 connected to the bottom of the slag chamber 5 preferably consists of a worm conveyor 35 which is arranged in a suitably constructed housing 34. The worm conveyor is driven by a wheel 36 and conveys the slag to the outside through a double gate 36 arranged at the discharge end of the casing. The effective capacity of the discharge worm 35 and of the charging device in the storage container I are so designed and so at-tuned to the reaction process that the producer can be operated completely continuously, the fuel in the reaction chamber 4 being maintained as tightly packed as is necessary.

It has been found in practice that the rapid-gasification producer illustrated in FIGURES l and 3 has an extremely high through-put and efficiency. Before the reaction chamber 4 the combustion air is at an excess pressure of about 2000 mm. water column. The velocity of the air and gas in the fuel bed in the `reaction chamber is between 40 and 100 m./sec. In order that a primary production of CO will actually occur in the reaction chamber, it is absolutely necessary for the fuel there to be packed sufficiently tightly, because as soon as gaps or hollows occur in the bed of the fuel, the oxygen of the air remains too long there, resulting in increased production of CO2, `but when this does not occur, then primary production of CO is ensured. Experiments have shown that when coke is gasiied in the new producer, the gas produced directly in the reaction chamber 4 contains 28% CO and only 21/2% CO2. By adding steam, it is possible to lower the gasification and combustion temperature in the reaction chamber 4 to about 1200 to 1000 C. The increase in hydrogen in the gas produced, resulting from the addition of steam, leads to a correspondingly greater caloric value. The heat remaining in the slag can be recovered, at least partly, by supplying a part of the combustion and gasification air to the bed of slag.

The rapid-gasification producer shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 differs from the one described above mainly in that it has a slag chamber 5' which widens out underneath the reaction chamber 4 and in that the combustion residues which collect there are discharged by a double worm consisting of two worm shafts 37, 38 which are driven in opposite directions. The pipes 16 which form the wall 2 of the reaction chamber are bent outwardly at their lower ends and connected to a collector 39. Water flows through them as in the case of the constructional example of FIGURES l to 3 and they may be connected to a steam-producing plant. The supply of air need not take place solely through the lance 6 in this case, but further air inlets 40 for the supply of secondary air may be provided in the lower, tapering part of the slag chamber 5.

As has already been mentioned, it is possible, according to a further feature of the invention, to construct the rapid-gasification producer substantially in the form of a boiler tired by a travelling grate, las shown diagrammatically in FIGURES 6 and 7. The travelling grate 41 serves as the fuel charging device, and the wall 2 of pipes, which shuts olf the reaction chamber 4', is disposed obliquely above the travelling grate in such a way that it approaches the discharge end of the travelling grate, which is closed by a slag retaining device. Laterally, the reaction chamber 4 is preferably closed by `ascending pipes arranged close together, which are not shown in the drawing, and it is advisable to weld round iron bars behind these ascending pipes, to prevent the escape of coarse grains of fuel if the outer layer of sheet metal is damaged. Both the lateral ascending pipes and the pipes I6 which form the wall 2 may form part of a steam-producing system. A device 43, which regulates the supply of fuel in known manner is provided at the front end of the reaction chamber 4. The entire travel-v ling grate 41 is enclosed in such a way that an excess air pressure of about 1500 mm. water column can be maintained. The combustion air is fed in through inlets arranged in known manner in zones below the travelling grate. The supply of air may be controlled by means of slide-valve rods. In this way, the gasification zone can be displaced backwards or forwards, and its total crosssectional area can be either increased or decreased. In this way the principle of the displaceable air lance 6, as used in the constructional example illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3, may be realised.

The openings to admit the system of pipes, -the drive for the travelling grate land the device for actuating the air valves must be sealed, but the only other places which must be sealed from the internal pressure in the reaction chamber 4 are the opening for discharging the ash and the opening for feeding in the fuel. This can be achieved by suitable arrangement of double valves or gates. It is advisable in this case also, to arrange for some of the pipes which form the wall to be movable, so that they can act as pokers. In this way, accumulations of slag or cinders which may occur when the system is at rest or when the supply of air is cut off for a time may be removed or at least crushed. For the purpose of this poking action, it is advisable to mount every alternate one of the pipes 16" in such a way that the distance through which they move may be up to 200 mm., depending on the size of the plant. The pipes which are not movable are preferably provided at their ends with suciently long tubular arms to give them suflicient elasticity.

Coke is preferably used as fuel for the new producer. It is, however, also satisfactory to use other solid fuels, such as brown coal, lignite, wood, pitch coal, anthracite, peat or gas coal, or also certain oils in combination with any of the above solid fuels, in which case the dimensions of the reaction chamber and the rate of operation of the charging and discharging device and the rate of supply of air of combustion must be modified accordingly.

We claim:

1. A gas producer for the production of (20-containing gas, comprising a reaction chamber, a substantially cylindrical series of spaced pipes, said pipes being spaced suiciently to allow gas to pass between them and forming a fuel-retaining wall of said reaction chamber, a gas discharge chamber surrounding said wall, a fuel storage container disposed above said reaction chamber, means for passing a cooling medium through said pipes, a charging device whereby fuel may be continuously supplied to said storage container, means for compacting the fuel supplied to said storage container, a lance passing through said storage container and said reaction chamber for passing oxygen-containing gas at high speed through the fuel in said reaction chamber, and means for discharging slag and combustion residues from said reaction chamber.

2. A gas producer as claimed in claim 1, said lance being in the form of a cylindrical tube provided with gas outlets.

3. A gas producer as claimed in claim 1, said lance being axially adjustable relative to said reaction chamber.

4. A gas producer as claimed in claim 1, comprising a slag chamber below said reaction chamber, a guide tube in said slag chamber, said lance having outlet openings in its end which extends into said chamber, and means for axially adjusting said lance.

5. A gas producer as claimed in claim 4, comprising a tube having outlets therein disposed within the lance, and means for supplying steam to said tube.

6. A gas producer for the production of COconta1'I1 ing gas, comprising a reaction chamber, a fuel-retaining wall of said reaction chamber constituted by a series of spaced pipes, said pipes being spaced sufficiently to allow gas to pass between them, a gas discharge chamber surrounding said wall, means for passing a cooling medium through said pipes, a charging device including a fuel storage container whereby fuel may be continuously supplied in compacted condition to said reaction chamber, an axially adjustable lance which passes through said storage container and `reaction chamber through which lance oxygen-containing gas is supplied at high speed to the fuel, and means for discharging slag from said react-ion chamber.

7. A rapid gas producer as claimed in claim 6, in which a tube passes through said lance for the supply of steam to said reaction chamber.

8. A rapid gas producer for the production of CO- containing gas, comp-rising a reaction chamber, a fuelretaining wall of said reaction chamber constituted by a series of spaced pipes, said pipes being spaced sufficiently to allow gas to pass between them, a gas discharge chamber surrounding said wall, means for passing a coo-ling medium through said pipes, a charging device whereby fuel may continuously be supplied in compacted condition to the reaction chamber, a fuel storage container disposed above the reaction chamber, and a compacting device comprising a plate resting on the fuel in said storage container and loaded by weight, means whereby an oxygen-containing gas may be passed at high speed through the fuel, and means for discharging slag from said reaction chamber.

9. A rapid gas producer for the production of CO- containing gas, comprising a reaction chamber, a fuelretaining wall of said reaction chamber constituted by a series of spaced pipes, said pipes being spaced sufficiently to allow gas to pass between them, discharge pipes arranged at different parts of said wall of the reaction chamber, temperature-measuring elements disposed in said discharge pipes and a common collecting pipe co-nnected to the outlet of said discharge pipes, means for passing a cooling medium through the spaced pipes constituting said fuel-retaining wall, a charging device whereby fuel may continuously be supplied in compacted condition to the reaction chamber, means whereby an oxygen-containing gas may be passed at high speed through the fuel, and means for discharging slag from said reaction chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 220,087 Paillard Sept. 30, 1879 395,676 Wellman Ian. 1, 1889 417,658 Babbitt Dec. 17, 1889 755,702 Sanderson Mar. 29, 1904 1,091,736 Doyle Mar. 31, 1914 1,349,497 Crush Aug. 10, 1920 1,409,440 Gamer Mar. 14, 1922 1,967,582 Marischkce July 24, 1934 2,179,638 Koppers Nov. 14, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 387,854 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1933 

1. A GAS PRODUCER FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CO-CONTAINING GAS, COMPRISING A REACTION CHAMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SERIES OF SPACED PIPES, SAID PIPES BEING SPACED SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOW GAS TO PASS BETWEEN THEM AND FORMING A FUEL-RETAINING WALL OF SAID REACTIO CHAMBER, A GAS DISCHARGE CHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID WALL, A FUEL STORAGE CONTAINER DISPOSED ABOVE SAID REACTION CHAMBER, MEANS FOR PASSING A COOLING MEDIUM THROUGH SAID PIPES, A CHARGING DEVICE WHEREBY FUEL MAY BE CONTINUOSLY SUPPLIED TO SAID STORAGE CONTAINER, MEANS FOR COMPACTING THE FUEL SUPPLIED TO SAID STORAGE CONTAINER, A LANCE PASSING THROUGH SAID STORAGE CONTAINER AND SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR PASSING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AT HIGH SPEED THROUGH THE FUEL IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SLAG AND COMBUSTION RESIDUES FROM SAID REACTION CHAMBER. 